


Don't Leave Me Alone On This Starry Night

by sonus



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempted Murder, Friends to Lovers, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan-centric, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Road Trips, Serial Killers, Theme Day: Slashers and Serial Killers, despite how it sounds there aren't any graphic depictions of violence, mention of past murders, non idol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2020-11-27 21:53:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20955491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonus/pseuds/sonus
Summary: There aren't many things that can truly terrify Lee Donghyuck but getting an anonymous letter promising him death definitely counts.Things like this are hard to deal with but as Donghyuck and Mark discover the true meaning behind that short message they are thrown into something neither of them could ever imagine being a part of.They place their bets on one idea and while the plan seems to be working time really is running out for them...





	Don't Leave Me Alone On This Starry Night

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there!!
> 
> if you clicked on this despite the tags and not because it is a part of the spooky fest then damn hello I hope you won't be disappointed by the lack of dead bodies in this work ksksks
> 
> This is like the nth fest I managed to finish and even though I became extremely frustrated with this one I think in the end it was worth it :D
> 
> Anyway, before I get to my normal thanks to I just wanted to say that this isn't what I normally write and it is so out of my comfort zone. Therefore I'm not really an expert (and I hope I'll never be) on some of the stuff that happens here and while I can't say that what Hyuck goes through can't be real (I did have a similar reaction to a not so nice thing but not on the scale that Hyuck does) because everyone copes differently but yeah. I just wanted to put it out there.
> 
> Big thanks to my dream team: Kath who is always there to motivate me and Raina and Val who actually read this when it was still in the works and told me to continue. I love you guys.

There is a lot of crazy things happening to Donghyuck lately.

Like for instance, his boss called him and said they need to talk the next day, which, no joke, made Donghyuck terrified.

Or like the fact that three of his best friends just started dating each other.

And well, the cherry on top, his sudden discovery of his feelings for no other than his best friend Mark Lee.

But what happens on one July morning steals the spotlight in Donghyuck’s brain for good.

He is minding his own business, even have helped that one new employee at work the day before. Nothing bad should happen to him on this bright morning if karma is real. Donghyuck is feeling good about it.

Until he isn't.  
Donghyuck decides to go down to the lobby and see if there are any letters waiting for him. He is expecting something, a wedding invitation from one of his cousins.

Maybe, if he will get enough courage, he will even ask Mark to go with him as his plus one. And maybe if his best friend says yes they can even start dating.

But what he finds in his mailbox when he finally opens it freezes his blood on the spot.  
There is one single letter there, without a return address.

It's written in neat unfamiliar handwriting and at first, Donghyuck thinks it must be a mistake. But then he catches his own name written in this clean and almost computer-like letters on the far corner of the page. It is for him.

He takes it back to his apartment with him and sits down on his bed before finally getting to reading it.

The letter is written on a nice paper in the same, neat yet unfamiliar handwriting.

_Dear Donghyuck.  
I would like to inform you that you have one month left to live. No matter what you do your life will end in 30 days._

_Just like all the other's did. Fight or don't. I don't care._

_Just know that you're next._

This is how Donghyuck's end starts.

⧖⧖⧖

Calling Mark is an instinct Donghyuck doesn't fight. He selects the number with shaking hands, his head spinning with thoughts.

Is this real or some kind of a sick joke? Is it even possible?

Well, of course, it's possible to get murdered. That happens to people all the time but Donghyuck can't recall any recent accidents in Seoul. Young boys turning dead would have been a big sensation.

Or maybe he just doesn't watch enough television.

He hopes Mark will know more than him or maybe have some ideas what to do with the letter that's still in his hand. His knuckles have already turned white from how tight his grip is and he forces it to loosen a little in fear that the paper might tear.

Mark finally picks up after three signals with a casual "Hyuck what's up?"

Donghyuck takes a deep breath before glancing back at the paper again to make sure it's real before he opens his mouth to speak.

"You need to come home," he says, his voice a little shaky but not alarming enough for Mark to immediately hang up and run back to their shared apartment.

"Is everything ok?" the older asks instead. His sounds worried and Donghyuck can imagine his furrowed brows as he probably looks over his shoulder at his boss to check if he would let him leave early.

"Not really," Donghyuck says but then he tries to calm down and adds. "But if you can't get back yet it's okay."

There is silence on the line for a solid minute when Mark tries to decide what to do. Donghyuck feels better already, all it took was hearing Mark's voice and maybe that's stupid, depending on someone so much, but he doesn't care.

They will figure something out together.

"No, no I'm coming. Want me to grab lunch on the way?"

Donghyuck sighs and smiles as he sits on the edge on the bed.

"No, I just want you here."

Mark doesn't answer.

⧖⧖⧖

It's a 30-minute walk from Mark's work back to their apartment.

Mark is home in 20 minutes.

He opens the door and sprints to Donghyuck as soon as he spots the younger on the bed.

"What's happening?" he asks, voice strained and Donghyuck feels his throat close around the words he knows he has to say.

"You didn't have to hurry so much."

Mark sits next to him and tries to catch his gaze.

"I could feel something is wrong," he says. "More than normal wrong."

Donghyuck laughs at that and makes a gesture to dismiss the accusation.

"It's probably nothing just a joke or something. I overreacted."

_At least I hope so_, he adds in his head. He doesn't want panic. And he doesn't see _how_ this could be real. Why would it be.

"It's not nothing if it stressed you out Donghyuck," Mark says and moves a little closer. Donghyuck can feel his body heat through their clothes and he forgets how to breathe for a moment.

_This is your best friend Donghyuck. You have seen him in all sorts of situations already. Focus,_ he scolds himself and forces his eyes to stay glued to the letter still in his tight grip.

"You're right," Donghyuck says and raises his hand so that Mark can see the piece of paper he is holding.

The older frowns and delicately frees the thing that has scared Donghyuck so much from his deadly grip.

Donghyuck waits patiently as Mark reads through it, expression darkening with each word he reads.

By the end of it, his face is white and his hands are shaking too. Mark's eyes linger on the last words as if the older is trying to make sense of what he just read. Donghyuck feels the adrenaline kicking back into his system.

They sit in silence for a while and Donghyuck doesn't even dare to move. The sun shines brightly outside as they try to deal with something no one ever expects to have to deal with.

"Do you think it's real?" Donghyuck finally asks quietly.

"I don't know," Mark's voice comes out small and scared. It makes the hair on Donghyuck's arms stand up.

He has known Mark since they were five but he has never seen his best friend so lost.

"I can ask Doyoung to check with Taeyong how true the story about the other boys is," he says slowly.

Donghyuck wonders why he hadn't thought of that yet. Doyoung's, one of their long-time friends, boyfriend is a police officer. They can get the information they need this way.

"Okay that's probably better than reporting it straight away," he says and instantly feels better. It's something. They can do this.

"You sure you don't want to just report it?" Mark asks, eyes still locked with Donghyuck's. 

"Yes. Let's make sure first."

"And..." Mark starts quietly in a shaky voice. "If it's true what then?"

"Then," Donghyuck pauses and straightens his back. "I'm not going down without a fight."

There is a shadow of a smile on Mark's lips.

"I say we hide."

Donghyuck bites the inside of his cheek and smiles too.

"Sounds like a plan."

⧖⧖⧖

Mark contacts Doyoung almost immediately but it takes two days for the older to get back to them with the information.

Taeyong no only sends them some files but also scans the letter and sends out some undercover cops to guard their apartment.

It makes Donghyuck feel better a little bit but as they read through the files his hopes crumble.

There have been murders. All over Seoul, in small alleys when nobody was looking. Young boys around his age left behind like trash.

Apparently the police kept it to themselves to not start a panic and on one hand, Donghyuck understands. It would be hard to do anything in a city full of fear.

But now it's about him and he can't help but wonder if the others got a letter like he did, too.

"Did you know a Hwang Hyunjin?" Mark asks from the other side of the carped.

They have spread the files across the floor in the living room so that they can see all of them at once.

"Hyunjin?" Donghyuck stops with one hand mid-air and runs the name over and over in his head. "I think I had one in class in high school?" he isn't fully sure but the sore possibility of this dead boy being someone he once knew is enough to send his brain into overdrive again.

He takes a deep breath and counts to ten.

"We have seven possible victims," Mark states, pointing out at all the different papers. "Some of them can be connected but some can't."

"Maybe we should try seeing if the others did get a letter too."

Mark lifts his gaze to Donghyuck's and nods eagerly.

"I think we can try with the Hwang family. They live close by."

Donghyuck checks the address on the paper Mark gives him. His best friend is right. The Hwangs really do live close.

"Let's do it then," he says and without checking if Mark would follow Donghyuck gets up and makes his way to the front door.

They have no time to waste.

⧖⧖⧖

Hwangs live in an apartment four streets away from Donghyuck and Mark.

It's small and so unspecial they almost pass by it by accident even though they are looking for it.

It's a lot more welcoming inside, all warm colors and wooden furniture.

Donghyuck looks around as Hyunjin's mother leads them into the living room and gives them both a cup of warm tea.

"I'm not sure if I can help you much when it comes to this," she starts. Her face doesn't betray any emotions but Donghyuck supposes it's normal around strangers.

"We are not asking for much," Mark says and then grimaces after realizing how bad that sounds. "I mean asking about anything related to that is much but we only wanted to know if your son did get any strange letters before his death."

Death. The word rings in Donghyuck's ears and makes Hyunjin's mother's perfectly still expression break for a moment.

It brings silence to the table and for a minute nobody dares to move.

"Strange?" Hyunjin's mother's voice finally breaks the silence. It's sharp and not even a tiny bit confused.

Donghyuck can't help but be in awe at how collected she is. In this kind of situation, she deserves respect for sure.

"A threat perhaps?" Mark suggests, his hands playing nervously with the hem of his t-shirt.

Donghyuck wants to reach out and stop him, hold hands like what they used to do when they were little and the other got scared or nervous.

But they aren't alone and even though they are not dating the gesture wouldn't be entirely platonic. Not everyone takes this kind of thing well when it comes in the form of two teenage boys. So he just stays still and waits for the answer.

"No," she says but after a moment her shoulder's deflect a little bit. "There was a letter. Not a threat, not at the time but looking back at it now," she adds in a hesitant voice.

Both Mark and Donghyuck lean in on instinct, alarms in their heads going off.

This could be it.  
"What did it say?"

She stays quiet for another moment before answering.  
"It was a party invitation. Nothing special apart from this one thing. It said that Hyunjin can't skip it because it will be the most important day of his life," she finishes, her voice getting quieter and quieter as the meaning of it all dawns on her.

Donghyuck's blood turns ice-cold as he scrambles to his feet and Mark follows after him.

He can't imagine what's going through Hyunjin’s mother's head as she rises from her seat as well.  
"I'll walk you to the door," she says and they all exit the room.

They move in silence, a million thoughts traveling through Donghyuck's mind at once. Why did he get a warning in the letter? A specific date and what would happen? Sure the person wrote that there's nothing he can do to stop it from happening but it was still a warning.

"I hope you can figure something out," Hyunjin's mother says once they reach the door.

She is looking Donghyuck straight in the eyes as if she knew he was the one in danger even though they never specified that.

He nodded slowly.  
"Thank you for listening to us," he says because the truth is that she didn't have to help them.

His eyes land on one of the family photos on the walls of the hallway and he catches the sign of Hyunjin.

Mark was right after all.  
He knew that face once.

⧖⧖⧖

When they round the corner of Hwang's street Mark stops him with a hand on his wrist.

"Donghyuck," he says softly and the younger turns to face his best friend.

"What? We got the answer we already suspected and now what? We run like we planned too right?" he can hear his voice rising with each word but there's nothing he can do about it.

"That was the Hyunjin you went to high school with right?"

"Yes, it was him."

Mark stays silent.

They stand at the corner of the street with no one in view and it hits Donghyuck that maybe he isn't the only one involved. Well, of course, he isn't since Mark will go on the run with him and the rest of their friend group knows too but...

They all went to the same high school. The seven of them are childhood friends and while it may be an accident that he knew Hyunjin it also may not be one.

"I don't know what to tell you Mark. I wish I was strong enough to stay and fight that sick motherfucker but I'm not."

Mark's reaction is immediate. His gaze snaps up and he shakes his head vigorously.

"No, no, no Donghyuck. We have to run and hope Taeyong and the rest can catch him before he catches us. Jaehyun hyung packed our stuff and Jungwoo hyung got us a car. Doyoung will text me the place from where we can pick it up anytime now."

Donghyuck feels his shoulders relax a little as he takes in a shaking breath.  
"What if they won't catch him?" he asks but he knows damn well Mark doesn't have an answer to that.

'_Will he come after me after the month passes?_' is what he wants to ask but his throat closes around the words. There's no way he can get them out.

"They will," Mark says and at the exact same time his phone goes off.

Doyoung has texted them the address. It's time to go.

⧖⧖⧖

The place where they meet with Jungwoo is almost on the other side of the town.

Donghyuck eyes every stranger on the bus suspiciously but nothing alarming happens on their way.

The parking they end up on is almost deserted, save for their friend.

Jungwoo looks out of place there. The whole place is old and used up with cracks in the concrete and old graffiti on the walls meanwhile Jungwoo looks as if he just bought his white t-shirt and jeans. He looks fresh and young.

This parking is a place Donghyuck can imagine being murdered at.

It looks like Mark doesn't like it too. His shoulders are tense even as they reach Jungwoo who is, after all, their friend.

Well, Donghyuck supposes it's hard to talk about friends in these circumstances. Because although he would jump into the fire for any of his twenty friends anyday this is different. His seven best friends might be the only people he trusts enough right now.

And Jungwoo isn't one of them.

So even though he loves the older a lot he is glad when they settle in the car and Mark drives off not long after.

It's their goodbye to Seoul for now and Donghyuck wonders how long until he sees the city again.

Or if he will see it again at all.

⧖⧖⧖

"What do you want to eat?" Mark asks, looking at billboards promoting various restaurants that are placed along the road they are on.

They have been driving for four hours straight now and Donghyuck has no idea where they are. Or when the next chance to eat something other than McDonald's will come.

"How about kimchi? I'm starving."

That earns him a small smile on Mark's face and he can't help but smile too.

"Kimchi it is then," Mark says and Donghyuck laughs.

He feels definitely better now. The few hours he has spent in the car chatting with Mark helped him relax and look at everything from a distance.

Maybe this will work and everything will be fine. And the fact that they were doing something, putting distance between him and the psycho made him feel more confident too. Less vulnerable.

"There!" he yells when he sees an advertisement for a kimchi restaurant a few kilometers away.

Mark looks at it when they pass and nods enthusiastically.

"Get your credit card ready!" Mark exclaims as he takes a turn left in the direction the signs tell them to go.

"No way!" Donghyuck giggles. "You're paying."

As Mark's laugh puts the radio music in the background and fills the whole car Donghyuck's mind plays one thought on repeat.

'_We are gonna be alright_.'

⧖⧖⧖

They spend the evening in a cramped restaurant in the countryside. They laugh and argue a little while eating and it makes Donghyuck forget all the bad things for a bit.

It's cold when they finally leave after Mark pays for their meal and they head back to the car.

The sun is long gone, almost full moon shining brightly in its place.

"Wow it's beautiful," Donghyuck says and he stops in the middle of the small parking of the restaurant. He looks up at the night sky which is so dark without city lights.

It's been so long since he last saw it like that.  
"Beautiful but scary," Mark comments as he fumbles with his pockets, trying to find the car keys.

"Scary?" Donghyuck asks curiously and moves closer to his best friend.  
"No one would know if we got murdered out there," Mark says and stops in his tracks when he realizes what he had just said. "That's not what I meant."

Donghyuck laughs despite the situation.  
"I know. I don't know why but I feel lonely there. Not in a bad way, more like we are not followed," Donghyuck adds the last sentence after seeing a surprised look on Mark's face. He isn't lonely. Never with Mark. "Let's just go."

"Right," Mark says and goes to open the car.

They don't really have a plan apart from staying alive. Which means that they will be sleeping the next few nights in the back of the car.

Donghyuck can already feel his body hurt from all the stiff muscles he will soon get but he doesn't complain.

They settle for the night under a few blankets that in theory should help them fight the cold night air.

Donghyuck snuggles closer to Mark for warmth and comfort and the older throws and arm around him.

It may not be the best he have ever had but as long as Mark is there he can barely tell the difference between this and the comfort of his bed back in their shared apartment.

There, at the edge of sleep, he can pretend they are just two teenage boys on a road trip. His mind searches and searches for the source of the fear in his heart but it's lost for the time being. Just for this small moment.

As they fall asleep somewhere in Seoul another boy smiles at the message lighting up his phone.  
"They are off. Good luck Lee Donghyuck."

⧖⧖⧖

For the first week that's their life.

Sleeping in the car at some forgotten fields or parking lots in the middle of nowhere, eating in McDonald's, that is if the can find one, and just driving without a destination.

It’s frustrating to wander in circles. The scenery outside is always just fields with occasional flowers and trees and Donghyuck wonders how long will it take before he starts hallucinating, when will his mind be too bored of this and start showing him things that are not there.

They both know that they will have to go into a city one day. He doesn’t know which one but he can feel that the day is coming and he is dreading it.

Donghyuck has learned to love silence. He closes his eyes and relaxes into it as Mark speeds up the car on a straight road. There is no one else here with them and even though at first it felt lonely after a week it feels almost reassuring.

No one is following them. Donghyuck is not sure what it means but Mark says that it’s good, repeats it like a mantra and the younger isn’t sure who he is trying to convince anymore.

The silence is good. Talking is tiring.  
But you can’t always be silent.

"How about we finally stop in a city? We need normal food and good night sleep," Mark says and Donghyuck can _feel_ how tired the older boy is.

He dares a look at his best friend in the driver's seat. Mark's shoulders are slumped forward and his hands are gripping the wheel tightly, too tightly, like he was afraid he would let go by accident otherwise.

His dark hair is messy, sticking out in all the wrong directions and when Donghyuck looks closely he can see how dark is the space under Mark's eyes.

The older definitely needs a stop otherwise he might drop dead.

"I'm sorry," Donghyuck whispers. It's been a week, _of course_, Mark is going to be tired as hell. Why hasn't he noticed this? He should have never dragged his best friend on the run with him.

"Why are you apologizing?" Mark asks, eyes still glued to the empty road ahead.

"I didn't notice how tired you are. I got so caught up in my problems I didn't even pay attention to the fact that my best friend who I dragged into this mess is almost dropping dead," Donghyuck lets out in. He can hear the frustration in his own voice and he closes his hands into fists to stop himself from punching something. Mark doesn't deserve this.

"I don't—" Mark starts but Donghyuck laughs bitterly which successfully shuts him down.

"I don't want you to excuse me."

Mark stays silent and he takes a turn into a smaller road. Donghyuck looks outside to try and see where they are going.  
"I wasn't planning to."

Donghyuck lets out a breath.  
"Okay," he says and after Mark takes yet another turn he frowns. "Where are we going."

"We are near Jinhae so I thought we could stop there," Mark's voice sounds a little bit brighter than the past few days and Donghyuck feels a spark of interest growing in him.

"Jinhae? That's a first."

“Well, the cherry blossoms festival there is long gone but I’m sure we can still go sightseeing,” Mark says and gives Donghyuck a shy smile.

“Sounds good,” Donghyuck answers because it really does. It might do wonders for their tense bodies and their overwrought nerves which make them jump at every shadow and any loud noise.

So they go to Jinhae.

It takes only about four more turns and then the city appears in Donghyuck's vision. One second it's not there and the next it is and Donghyuck already likes the mysterious air around it.

At first, they are careful. They turn around at every corner and throw looks behind themselves in every alley.

Donghyuck supposes that running away from a serial killer does that to people. Or at least it did it to them.

He briefly wonders for how long, if he manages to survive, of course, he is going to jump at every loud noise and avoid meeting new people. Will he ever truly stop.

No matter the outcome he isn't coming back to Seoul as the same Donghyuck that left the city about a week ago.

It makes him angry at that anonymous person who turned his life into a nightmare. No one should have this kind of power over someone else and yet whether Donghyuck liked it or not this changed his way of thinking so much.

He looks at everything with an overwhelming feeling it might be the first and last time he sees it all. It wasn’t hard while all they saw were empty fields and endless roads but now, in the city, it feels different.

Donghyuck observes everything around with big eyes, trying to absorb as much as he can. Jinhae is beautiful even out of season and he can’t imagine how it looks when the sakura is in full bloom.

“Let’s visit it again next year,” he says as they pass by a temple on their way to dinner. “I wanna see the festival.”

Mark tears his gaze from the beautiful building and his eyes travel all the way to Donghyuck’s.  
“Sure,” he says a little breathlessly. They have been walking around for a few hours at this point and they were both extremely tired to begin with. “Let’s do it. Next year.”

Donghyuck doesn’t wanna dwell for too long on the fact that there might not be _next year_.

Not for him at least.

⧖⧖⧖

After eating dinner in a small bar in some dark alley Donghyuck feels better. The break from the McDonalds is so pleasant he almost cries when he sees normal food on his plate.

Mark seems happy too, eyes sparkling and colors returning to his face as he eats.

It definitely helps boost their morale a bit but as the night comes over the city they find themselves starting to pick up speed in an attempt at getting off the streets as soon as possible.

Darkness is scary, even petrifying when you don’t know what’s lurking in it and on the way to the motel they have booked while they were sitting in the bar, Donghyuck can’t help but look over his shoulder every few minutes.

The walk makes them both nervous. All the good spirit they have regained at the bar seems to slowly disappear.

Mark’s shoulders sink in again and even though it’s dark outside and neon lights aren’t the best source of light Donghyuck can clearly tell the older is at his limit.

“We are almost here,” he says in an apologetic tone which makes Mark look up at the younger.

“I know,” he says and when Donghyuck doesn’t comment he adds. “I’m really fine Donghyuck. Let’s just keep going.”

And because there’s nothing more Donghyuck can do he just nods, letting the lie slip, and tries to only look ahead.

Maybe if he keeps doing that the monsters that are hiding in the darkness and waiting for him to make a wrong move will disappear.

⧖⧖⧖

Week two finds them in the middle of nowhere again.

By now Donghyuck is used to the endless nothing and he is starting to think _this_ is more his thing than the city. He loves the rush of Seoul and the fact that it never sleeps but the thought of masses of anonymous people in which it’s so easy to disappear makes him anxious now.

It doesn’t scream ‘freedom’ to him anymore. It screams ‘lost’ now.

Being in this car feels more like home and Donghyuck knows why, he isn’t stupid.  
It’s because Mark is here with him.

The older has this special ability to make him feel as if he belongs no matter where they are. Even in the middle of nowhere somewhere between Jinhae and Busan.

They decide to stop for the night at the side of the road far enough from the big city that they can’t even see the lights of it yet on the deep blue sky.

Since it’s getting hotter and hotter each day Donghyuck proposes that instead of sleeping on the car seats they sleep outside for once.

And so the night catches them as they drag all of the blankets they packed from the car to the grass where they decided to set up their sleeping camp.

“We should have brought more,” says Mark when they lay the last one down. The place doesn’t look bad but Donghyuck can tell they are going to wake up with sore muscles the next day.

“Well too bad we didn’t look up ‘what to take with you when you are on a run’ before we left Seoul,” Donghyuck sets down and groans. “We are so going to regret this tomorrow.”

This for some reason makes Mark laugh.  
"As if we didn't regret every single night before this," he points out and Donghyuck has to agree. Even if the back seats look comfortable enough in the daylight they turn into his worst nightmare at night.

"Whatever," he struggles. "Let's not think about it too much."

Mark stays silent and Donghyuck knows there's something on his mind. Something he isn't sure he should say.

Donghyuck gives him time to think about it as he turns his gaze to the endless night sky full of stars. Now, that's something to remember. The same but so different from the view they always saw in Seoul.

"What now?" Mark finally asks and Donghyuck closes his eyes at the question. "What happens next?"

“We wait,” Donghyuck says calmly. “For Doyoung hyung or anyone else to tell us to come back I guess. I’m not sure I wanna risk getting back after the month ends if I’m not sure they have the guy. We probably can’t run forever but maybe we can stay somewhere for a while.”

The truth is, they could probably wait and wait for the police to catch the killer but is it possible for them to run the whole time?

It’s not like this would be the guy’s first murder and what’s the difference this time? The letter? Donghyuck isn’t sure if that’s enough for them to catch him. After all, he has slipped away so many times before.

“Will this work?” Mark asks doubtfully.

Donghyuck gives him _a look_.  
“Have you already given up and came to terms with your best friend being _murdered_? Mark, I have expected better from you.”

Mark doesn’t answer, instead just looks at him with sadness in his eyes.  
Donghyuck tries to swallow but the lump in his throat doesn’t disappear.

“Honestly Mark,” Donghyuck signs into the night.

There are no city lights in the distance, the only thing that makes Donghyuck able to see anything being moon and stars.  
It’s beautiful and he would have appreciated it more for sure if they weren’t currently on a run.

For his life on top of that.

⧖⧖⧖

Week three finds them in a small cottage somewhere between Busan and Daegu. They have run over their plan thousand times and even though they aren't coming to Seoul yet when Mark points at a familiar road on their old map Donghyuck smiles.

If instead of stopping they did continue for a few more hours they would have been met with bright lights of their city. But, of course, that doesn't happen.

How do they end up in a small hut at the side of the road, in the middle of fields filled with flowers as far as you can see, is still a mystery to Donghyuck.

It's just a lucky coincidence, not one of their plans.

At first, there's nothing special about that day. They get up in the morning, stop at a gas station to eat something and fill up the tank and then drive off into another meaningless journey.

The weather is nice enough and after a few hours of small chat and banter, Donghyuck's eyes shift to look outside. They are still in the countryside, passing a lot of farms with people working in the fields.

And then they leave the more populated area and all that can be seen outside is empty space and flowers.

Well at least until Donghyuck notices something.

"Mark stop," he says in an urgent voice, head snapping to look out of the back window at the place where he just saw something to make sure it wasn't just his tired mind playing tricks on him.

To be honest, he doesn't know what he expects but he can't see a thing so he turns his attention back to Mark whose eyes are already on him. The car _is_ going slower now but it's still moving.

"What the fuck Donghyuck, you almost gave me a heart attack," the older says and tries to force a smile. His hands are gripping the wheel so tightly that his knuckles are turning white.

"Sorry," he makes his voice sounds apologetic and Mark sighs. "But we need to get back there."

"Why?" Mark asks and even before Donghyuck can answer him takes a turn and starts going back, this time much slower.

"I saw someone fall down from a roof," the younger explains and squints his eyes to make sure he doesn't miss this person by accident. Truth to be told, it was a brief moment but he is pretty sure he _did_ see it.

"_What_," Mark's voice is quiet now and as soon as they come close to the only house in the area, which is more of a cottage than a real house, the older parks their car at the side of the road.

They both jump out of the car as soon as it stops. Donghyuck's legs cry in protest as he makes them move faster than they got used to in the last few weeks.

"Should I can the ambulance?" he screams to make sure Mark hears him above the wind that hits them as they sprint to the small building. His breath hitches and his chest hurts but the terror of what he saw finally kicks in and the adrenaline helps him move forward despite all of his limbs screaming otherwise.

"You can try," comes Mark's voice. The older is ahead of him, close enough to the house that he slows down and starts properly looking at his surroundings.

Donghyuck slows down too and finally stops a few meters away from the hut and pulls his phone out. He is about to dial the emergency number but there's no signal here.

They are in the middle of nowhere and for a moment he wants to laugh. This works perfectly with their 'we can't be found' mindset but at this moment he wants nothing more than to communicate with the outside world.

He is almost close to tears, both from the whole situation and his mind getting clouded by thoughts of his last day being spent out here where no one can hear him as he screams when he hears voices for the first time.

They are coming from the other side of the house. One of them is Mark for sure, Donghyuck would recognize his voice anywhere, the other one is female.

He closes his hands into fists to stop them from shaking. He doesn't need Mark seeing him like that.

After a few more deep breaths to calm his nerves he finally heads to the walls of the building and cautiously looks at what's happening behind the cottage.

There is Mark, his back turned to Donghyuck. He looks relaxed which makes the younger automatically relax too.

"Oh," the other person lets out. Donghyuck can clearly see now that it's a woman as she moves from behind Mark's frame to look at him properly. "Are you two together?"

Mark turns his head and his eyes soften when he sees it's indeed Donghyuck not some random stranger standing here.

"Yes," Donghyuck says and takes the last few steps that are separating them.

Upon closer inspection he can see that the woman is definitely much older than them, maybe his grandmother's age. She has white hair pulled into a tight bun and is wearing a dress with a floral pattern.

And meanwhile he really thinks his comparison to his grandma is correct, this woman stands tall and straight like any of the years she lived didn't get to her and she didn't let their weight pull her shoulders down. His grandmother is definitely more broken by life.

In that aspect she looks even better than both of them, their shoulders slumped from all the stress and bad sleep.

"That's my best friend who saw you fall," Mark explains and the woman smiles at Donghyuck warmly.

"I see," she gestures at the bright red roof of the house. "I was trying to patch up a small hole. The rains are coming, I can feel them in my bones, and I don't want my bed swimming in water. But I guess I overestimated my strength and what you saw was just me tripping and falling from the ladder."

Donghyuck raises his eyebrows. How is it possible that she is not only unfazed but also standing on her own?

"Are you okay?" he asks skeptically. Maybe it's just shock and the real pain hasn't kicked in yet.

"Ah, don't worry I'm fine. I wasn't that high when I slipped and fell,” she takes a step forward to let him see that her legs are, in fact, working just fine.

Donghyuck is still skeptical but Mark looks relaxed enough so he nods and looks at the older.  
"I guess we will be going then."

The woman turns her attention to him again and gives him a small smile.  
"Why don't you two stay for a little? You look tired like you could use a good night's sleep," she says and Donghyuck can't argue her point. "I have dinner ready too."

The offer is so tempting Donghyuck is ready to agree just like that but in the end, it's not only his decision so he looks at Mark to ask for his answer.

The older is already looking at him with a spark in his eyes that Donghyuck hasn't seen in such a long time. That seals the deal.

They follow the older woman who introduces herself as Minyoung to them into the house. It's small and old but comfortable and it takes Donghyuck about ten minutes to adapt and feel at home.

They sit down on a yellow sofa while Minyoung prepares tea for them. It turns out the older woman is an excellent companion with her sarcastic comments and warm laugh. Too bad hey will have to leave this small cottage in the middle of nowhere behind very soon.

Donghyuck decides not to tell her the reason behind their trip and Mark stays quiet too. She looks worried enough about their condition as it is and the younger suspects that she wouldn't let them go if she knew.

"You are both very exhausted," she states after dinner when she inspects the dark circles under their eyes closely. "You should stay here for a few days a least."

Donghyuck's and Mark's gazes meet as they discuss their options without words. Years of knowing each other are helpful and Donghyuck can perfectly understand the anxiety in Mark's eyes.

"I don't think—" he starts but to his surprise, his best friend raises his hand to stop him from going any further.

"We can stay a little," Donghyuck raises his eyebrows because that wasn't what their discussion looked like. Maybe they don't know each other as well as he had thought. "Two days maybe? What do you say Donghyuck?"

At that Donghyuck can feel everyone's gaze on him and he sighs. Truthfully, staying here for two days shouldn't be too bad of an idea. The place is in the middle of nowhere and he really doesn't think they will be tracked down that fast.

And by the time they will, it would hopefully be only Minyoung alone in this small cottage.

"Okay," he finally says and both Minyoung and Mark smile at him with relief.

⧖⧖⧖

And so they stay there, sleeping on the yellow sofa in the living room and drinking tea over cards and just normal chatter.

When the two days end Donghyuck feels so bad he asks Mark if he thinks they can leave just before the sun starts setting.

Staying in one place for so long isn't a good idea, they both know it but it's hard to leave when after three weeks of nothing you finally feel good and not constantly scared.

Mark agrees and they spend their last hours with Minyoung talking and laughing. She makes them take some food to bring back to their car because they are apparently 'way too slim for boys their age'.

Donghyuck laughs at her comments and when the time for goodbyes finally comes he hugs her tightly with tears in his eyes.

"You should visit Seoul sometime," he whispers into her hair and she laughs. He ignores the pang in his heart reminding him that soon there might not be anyone in Seoul for her to visit.

Donghyuck tries his best to contain his panic but he can feel his arms tense and he knows the older woman notices too.

"I don't know what's bugging you Donghyuck-ah," she says softly, her hands still holding him firmly. "But I hope you can get through it soon."

"Thank you," he whispers back at her with tears threatening to spill at any moment but he forces them back. Now it's not the time to cry, there's still a long way to go for them.

They walk out into the night with a new blanket and food in their hands and cross over to where they have parked their car.

"Do you think we can visit her someday?" Donghyuck asks as they walk through the empty field which at the first glance looks smaller than it really is. It's hard to calculate distances when all you see is darkness and emptiness and soon enough Donghyuck starts to feel uncomfortable without the warmth of Minyoung's fireplace. "Is it just me or had it gotten colder?"

"I think it did. And for all it's worth we can visit her after everything calms down, how does this sound?"

Donghyuck can't see it in the darkness but he just knows that Mark is smiling at that moment. And even though the older won't be able to see it he smiles back.

"Let's survive this then," he says and, both because he is cold and wants to get from here as soon as possible, Donghyuck laughs once and runs all the way to the car.

Mark yells after him but after a moment he can't hear it anymore because of the wind.

It takes about ten minutes for the older to catch up and when he does they carefully pack their new things inside.

"What was that?" Mark asks with a snort as he settles into the driver's seat.

"Not really sure," Donghyuck answers and takes out one of the sandwiches that Minyoung has made them. "I guess I just couldn't wait to get out of here."

Mark throws him a judging look and Donghyuck laughs louder than before. He gets out his phone to play some music and sends Jeno a text telling him that they are off again.

"Or maybe I was just cold."

Mark rolls his eyes and grips the wheel.  
"Let's get out of there then."

And they do.

⧖⧖⧖

When the morning marking one month finally comes with bright lights and soft wind Donghyuck isn’t sure who is more scared, Mark or him.

It finds Donghyuck sitting sleeplessly on a blanket outside while Mark is safely sleeping inside the car.

Any other day he would have probably been still sleeping but today he can't even force himself to close his eyes.

But despite this being the day the letter was talking about there's nothing different about it. As far as he can see there's nothing, not even a single car. It would be impossible to creep up on them here, in the middle of a deserted road with short grass all around.

The only sounds there are the winds blowing way too strong for this time of the year and Donghyuck's fast heartbeat. He can clearly hear it in his ears, speeding up as minutes and then hours pass by.

It takes Mark some time to wake up. The sun is already shining brightly as the older gets out of the car to join him on the blankets.

Donghyuck doesn't have his phone with him. He knows all too well just how many calls and text he will get throughout today but he doesn't wanna see any of them. Maybe tomorrow when at least the terror of the threat from the letter will pass. If only a little.

Donghyuck isn't stupid and he knows that even if nothing happens today that won't be the end. But for the last month, he has been dreading this day, thinking it may be his last.

"I think I finally get why you said silence is good and being lonely is not always bad," the older says as he passes Donghyuck one of the sandwiches they bought at a gas station the day before.

"Especially today, I'm grateful it's so quiet," Donghyuck looks up at the sky. "Is it midday already?"

"Yeah," Mark pulls out his phone. "Jeno and the rest have been bombarding me with texts all morning. Honestly, I needed that night's sleep."

Donghyuck laughs and points at the phone.  
"Tell him that. Who does he think he is?"

"He is worried," Mark frowns as he looks at Donghyuck and the younger can't help rolling his eyes. "So is everyone else."

"I know, I know. You are worried too, right?"

Mark stares at him in silence. His eyes are unwavering but there is unmistakable sadness in them which Donghyuck can't pretend he doesn't see.

"I'm worried the most," he finally says and his voice comes out choked like he has been crying but his eyes are dry.

"You know what? Of course, I don't want to die but..." Donghyuck tears his eyes away from his best friend. What he is about to say will sound like a confession and he is fully aware of that. But looking at the fact that he might have only a few hours left to live he thinks it is time to at last tell Mark the truth. And while he doesn't think it's the perfect time for them to date even if they make it both through this day, he hopes one day it will be. They both deserve that. "I think that I would never trade spending my last day with you for anything else."

The silence after that is overwhelming and for a moment Donghyuck can't hear even his own heartbeat. It takes everything he has in him to look up at Mark again.

The older's face is unmoving, not betraying any emotions but his eyes aren't that steady. Mark can never mask his emotions, not from Donghyuck at least, because the answer is always in his eyes.

And they are shining right now.

It's hard to judge what kind of tears are trying to set free because it takes Mark a second to push them back and instead smile.

"I hope you are saying what I think you are saying," he says and Donghyuck doesn't even ask before nodding lightly. "Because I think it's been years since I last thought something like this could happen. You never fail to surprise me Donghyuck."

There is little time for Donghyuck to dwell on what Mark means by 'years' as he can feel laughter overcoming him and giggles escaping his mount.  
"You should be grateful to me for making your life interesting then."

"I am," Mark says and moves closer but still not close enough to touch. "You are full of surprises. Laughing is the last thing I expected to do today and yet that's exactly what's happening."

This makes Donghyuck pause and a cold shiver runs down his spine as a stronger blow of the wind hits them. He trembles and Mark moves closer to him.

"I'm sorry I'm such a mood killer," he whispers but Donghyuck shakes his head fiercely.

"No. I'm glad we got to enjoy ourselves even if only for a bit."

And then, without much warning, Mark moves even closer and even though Donghyuck can see his intentions written clearly all over his face he doesn't pull back.

The older pauses for a second just before their lips meet and asks Donghyuck's permission with his eyes. And despite what he has told himself before he nods slightly before closing his eyes and accepting Mark's kiss.

The kiss itself is gentle, more like a ghost of one than a real thing but Donghyuck relaxes into it anyway. Mark doesn't cling to him like it's the end of the word and Donghyuck's hands close into fists at his sides as he tries to stop himself from grabbing at the older's arms.

Mark is his safe zone, his shelter, someone he trusts one hundred percent. But this can't really save him now. They both did everything they could and now it was time to wait and hope for the best.

So with it in mind, he collects all his strength and lightly pushes Mark away.

"I'm thankful," he says, voice hoarse and breathless. "I'm so thankful. Without you, I would have been done for sure."

He can clearly see the confusion on Mark's face and the way the older collects his thought. Donghyuck can _feel_ the moment he wants to speak up.

“I don’t think,” he breathes out on Mark’s cheek. “Dating is what we truly need now. We are both scared and making rash decisions.”

Mark looks at him with his sad eyes.  
“I will wait until you believe we are ready but I don't think any of this was because you or I were scared. Sure the situation has pushed us to do _something_ but tell me Donghyuck, would you have stayed quiet about your feeling forever if not for this?"

“That’s…” Donghyuck trails off because he doesn’t know the answer to that. “I can’t tell you that but I _do_ know what I said either, I’m not saying it wasn’t true but for now, it’s too much. I just want you to know I care about you."

“I know that Donghyuck,” he says, voice much quieter than normal.

"Would you have said anything?" Donghyuck asks the older in return and he can see Mark's eyes become cloudy immediately.

"To be honest it's been years," Mark looks up at the sky and Donghyuck realizes how dark it has gotten suddenly. "I have given up on trying to do anything a long time ago."

Donghyuck swallows hard and his eyes follow Mark's to the darkening sky.

"I think it'll rain," the older says and gets up. He offers Donghyuck a hand and the younger accepts. "Let's go inside."

The coming storm is a good representation of what's going on inside Donghyuck's head at that moment and as they run around, fighting with the strong winds and trying to get all the blankets into the car before the rain comes and they have the chance to soak completely. He ponders over his decision. Was it right? Was it wrong? It probably depends from what side you look at it.

But no matter what they both leave that conversation for another time. Sleeping under wet material is the last thing they both want.

His feelings are true but there's nothing he can promise Mark right now. Donghyuck feels uneasy and even though he knows the older understands him he still feels bad about it.

⧖⧖⧖

Laying in Mark's arms that night feels different. And Donghyuck doesn't think it's because of what has happened between them earlier that day, that's something that doesn't really cross his mind as he lays sleeplessly and listens to the older's even breathing.

It's probably because even though the letter has said he should be dead, midnight passes and nothing really happens. It feels strange because something he was scared of for so long now didn't happen.

He knows it's not the end yet and maybe that makes him even more nervous.  
It's hard to tell when the opponent will strike.

Or if we even _will_.

⧖⧖⧖

Never, even in his wildest dreams, did Donghyuck imagine what happens next morning.

It goes something like this:

He sleeps peacefully for the most part of the night, curled up against Mark's slow rising chest. The older's rhythmic breath helps lul him to sleep and somehow keeps him asleep even through the storm still happening outside.

When he finally wakes up Mark is already up and the car is moving. He is surprised to see himself in the back seat because he is pretty sure they fell asleep in the front one last night.

He casts a questioning look at his best friend who catches his eyes in the mirror.  
"I didn't want to wake you up so I moved you. You deserve the rest, all of this is draining, especially yesterday."

And while Donghyuck can't exactly argue with that he knows he is not the only one that needs to rest.

"You need that too Mark. I don't think you even realize just how _tired_ and _drained_ you look," Donghyuck sits up and lifts his blanket so that a little bit of colder air can come in. It's pretty chilly for summer.

"What can we do about it?" Mark asks and just as he does so Donghyuck's phone rings.

"Wait," he looks around in an attempt to find the stupid device but he can't spot it anywhere. "I thought I put it on silent? I'm pretty sure I did," he mumbles to himself.

Mark turns his head slightly with a worried look on his face.  
"I'm pretty sure you did too. I just know your phone was bombarded with texts yesterday and I never heard anything."

A cold shiver runs down Donghyuck's spine. If not Mark then who has turned the volume up.

His sense of security comes crashing down in a blink of an eye as a second bang announces another text. But this time Donghyuck thinks he knows where it's coming from.

He reaches out to the side and finally grabs the familiar shape only for it to vibrate again in his hand.

"There are so many people trying to catch us," Mark taps the wheel. "No wonder. I already messaged your parents and Jeno that we are safe for now. But that's all, I didn't know who else we trust enough."

Now, with the phone in his hand, Donghyuck's heart stops. The older's words don't really register apart from one.

'_Trust_'.

Donghyuck's gaze travels along the lines of Mark's silhouette and he feels his hands start shaking. It can't be him, can it?

He has more faith in the older than in himself and as his senses slowly come back to him he shakes his head to get rid of the stupid thought.

But it doesn't want to leave so easily. There's something unnerving about this and after a month in almost complete isolation Donghyuck thinks he might be going insane.

Mark has always been his safe place and now that that has been stripped away from him even for just one second makes him feel uneasy.

"It wasn't you was it," he asks quietly because his brain whispers to him that even if it _was_ Mark the older obviously wouldn't admit to it. Donghyuck realizes he never asked _Mark_ of all people about it but it has never crossed his mind.

"The phone?" Mark asks and then there's a moment of silence in which the older realizes the true meaning of Donghyuck's words. "No. It's not me Donghyuck. I don't blame you for suspecting me after _this_. I can't prove anything to you so I guess you have to trust me one last time."

Donghyuck breathes out because what if Mark didn't understand.  
"It's not gonna be the last time stupid. And I believe you, of course, I do."

"Good," Mark laughs with relief and Donghyuck joins him. "Now check who the check has been spamming you with messages."

"Probably everyone," he says as he unlocks his phone and goes into his texts just to find about a hundred messages. "Wow, this is no joke."

There are so many and for a moment it crosses his mind that maybe, just maybe, the newest ones really are from the killer himself. It would make sense since a month has passed and nothing happened. Donghyuck wasn't expecting a 'Congratulations you lived!' text but who knows.

Instead, at the top of the list, he finds Jaehyun and Doyoung. It's been a while since he has texted either of them and he frowns. What was it? Surely the start of the month, just after he and Mark set off.

The only people he is regularly texting are Jeno and his parents. He knows that Jeno updates the rest of their small group regularly and he is thankful for that because it means he doesn't have to answer all of Chenle's crazy questions and Jaemin's emoticons.

"It's Jaehyun and Doyoung," he informs Mark and he can _feel_ the frown on the other's face.

"Maybe they have some news when it comes to the guy?" Mark says and Donghyuck doesn't want to get his hopes up, he really doesn't but when the older puts it like this it _makes sense_.

He decides to open Jaehyun's texts first and he squints to read them.

The first one leaves him confused but the more he reads the more it all makes sense.

'i heard the news!'

and then:

'i hope that motherfucker will rot in jail'

The last one makes Donghyuck's heart stop for a moment and then it picks up speed as he scrolls up to find the messages from Doyoung.

'taeyong said they have the guy. i don't know the details but you are free to come home hyuck.'

Donghyuck's breath hitches.

“Oh thank God,” He almost cries and lifts his gaze to Mark. “We can come back home, Mark. They have him, we can go back.”

The older’s eyes are open wild with shock but his mouth is still pressed into a thin line, not fully believing what’s happening.

“Are you sure?” he asks and his voice shakes slightly as he pulls the car to a stop at the side of the never-ending road.

They both jump out of the car and as soon as Donghyuck's feet land on the warm grass he sprints to the other side. He doesn't bother with shoes, he doesn't care that his socks are getting wet as he almost slips on his way to Mark.

The older welcomes him with open arms and when they finally hug he spins them around while laughing.

"We did it," he whispers.

"We did," Donghyuck whispers back and when Mark puts him down, he doesn't know if it's because of all the adrenaline or maybe because he is _so_ relieved but he leans in and kisses the older.

That day they head back to Seoul.

⧖⧖⧖

As soon as the lights of the city come into view Donghyuck feels a pang in his chest. They are soft at first, getting more intense the closer they are and in the end, they are the only thing that Donghyuck can see.

Seoul seems so much bigger than he remembers and makes him feel a little bit overwhelmed. He has known this place his whole life and yet now Donghyuck barely recognizes it as they drive past busy streets.

“You wanna sleep at your parent’s tonight?” Mark asks him just before the place where they have to take a turn to their shared apartment.

“No, I would rather stay home,” Donghyuck’s eyes are still glued to the world outside but he can feel Mark’s gaze on him. “Don’t look at me like _that_. It is my home and I feel better here than with my parents.”

“Okay, okay,” Mark finally says and takes the turn at the next traffic.

The area in which their apartment is located is quieter. There aren’t as many clubs and bars for people to get drunk in and so the nightlife doesn’t really function here.

It takes about half an hour but they finally make it and both Donghyck and Mark almost crawl to their door. They even meet a few people on the way who look at them strangely but at this point, neither of them cares enough to try to force a smile.

Inside everything is just like they left it.  
It's clear no one has broken in an attempt to find Donghyuck and it leaves him feeling on edge but he decides to let it slide for now.

"I think I'm gonna let people know we are back," Donghyuck doesn't even bother to switch on the lights and they both stand in here in complete darkness. "Maybe gonna meet up with my parents tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'll let mine know we are safe too," and with that Mark takes out his phone and turns around.

Donghyuck takes his out too and squints at the brightness of the screen. There are a few missed calls, he had put in back on silent after the strange incident from the morning and this time it stayed that way.

He knows he should call his parents first but his fingers type out Jeno's number instead, as if on autopilot and he hits the green button before he can stop himself.

The phone rings once, twice before his friend finally picks up.  
"Donghyuck!" the enthusiasm in his voice makes Donghyuck giggle. "You arrived safely? _Oh God_ I'm so glad this is finally over."

"We did just get here," Donghyuck looks up to see if Mark has already finished. The older still has his back turned to him but there is no trace of the blue artificial light surrounding his silhouette so Donghyuck guesses he did already contact his parents.

"I guess," he says carefully, trying not to sound too enthusiastic. Honestly, he is too tired to be happy yet.

They didn’t give him details so he can’t tell Jeno anything concrete yet but frankly, he doesn’t really care.

What counts to him is that he is finally _free_. He can go out without looking over his shoulder every five seconds and having a heart attack every time someone speaks loudly. But maybe that will stay with him for a long time, his mind won’t get back to normal that easily.

“Let’s meet tomorrow to celebrate?” Jeno asks him from the other end and Donghyuck snaps out of it. “My treat.”

Donghyuck laughs.  
“_Obviously_,” he has missed Jeno the most of them all, the other’s calming presence always does wonders for him. “But in the morning, I need to visit my parents later.”

“No problem. See you Hyuck,” he can almost hear Jeno’s eye smile from across the city and when the older hangs up he smiles at Mark who is still looking around the apartment to see what they need to buy the next day.

“Tomorrow’s gonna be busy,” Donghyuck says and his best friend smiles at him.

“It seems so.”

⧖⧖⧖

It’s quite hard to get up the day after the arrival. The bright sun outside wakes Donghyuck up and he curses himself and Mark for not thinking about covering the windows the day before.

But they do have plans so he is glad he is awake, although he was pretty sure he set his alarm for much earlier than what he woke up to. Well, it wouldn’t be his first time to sleep through one.

And so because he knows they are probably late to the meeting with Jeno he throws on some clothes and even shoes which he left next to the bed last night.

“I’ll have to vacuum later,” he mumbles to himself when he sees just how much dirt his sneakers have left behind.

Donghyuck drags his feet behind, not fully awake just yet. He wonders where to look for Mark but then there’s noise coming from the kitchen so he decides to check there first.

But instead of Mark who definitely should be here, the one standing in the middle of their kitchen is Jaehyun. Out of all the people, he is the one Donghyuck really didn’t expect to see that fast after getting back. He knows how busy the other can be.

“Jaehyun?” he asks and the sign of his older friend sobers him a little. “Where is Mark?”

Jaehyun turns his attention to him and smiles.  
“He went shopping. You were short on food since you just came back yesterday,” he explains and points at the kitchen counter. There is a half-full pizza box lying on hit. Donghyuck feels his stomach growl.

“Hungry?” Jaehyun laughs and moves to sit on the sofa. Donghyuck opts for the kitchen and he downs one cup of water before starting on his pizza.

“When will Mark be back? We need to go meet up with Jeno,” he says as he sits down on the sofa opposite his older friend.

“I don’t know, he never told me to which store he was going,” Jaehyun answers, voice bored as he looks for something on his phone.

That reminds Donghyuck that he has his phone too, and of course, he can try contacting and asking Mark on his own.

Except his phone is not where it should be. He tries searching his pockets again and even thinks about going back to the bedroom to check before Jaehyun snaps him back to reality.

“Oh, you looking for this?” he lifts his hand up with an innocent smile. Donghyuck frowns when he sees that the thing the older is holding is, in fact, his phone.

He tries to make sense of Jaehyun's figure lazily spread out on his sofa, Donghyuck's phone in his hand.

He eyes the device and there's something on the screen that makes his thoughts stop completely.

It's far away but not so far that he can't see that the conversation between him and Mark is open. And there's definitely a few more messages than he recalls sending.

Which, of course, is a red flag but his brain is still clouded from sleep and slowed down from the whole trip and Donghyuck doesn't pick up on it as fast as he should.

"Give it back," he says and stretches his hand in hopes it will work. He prays it's just one of his friend's pranks.

"Oh?" Jaehyun smiles and shakes his head in disappointment. "Don't you get it? I won't give it back to you."

The older's words send a cold shiver down his spine and it finally hits him.

He always prefers to see the best in people. And now it's going to be his doom.

He gets up from the sofa so fast his head spins and he has to grab it for support. Jaehyun mirrors his moves but instead of going for him he heads to the kitchen.

"By the way, don't bother with the door, it's locked."

Donghyuck has no reason to not believe him and he _won't_ waste time trying to open it when Jaehyun has most likely stolen his keys.

"If you don't mind I'll have another slice of pizza before we get to it," Jaehyun takes the almost empty box.

Donghyuck looks around but somehow there's _nothing_ that would let him defend himself.

The vase of flowers they always have on the table is gone, only a wet spot where it once sat.  
Even Donghyuck's books are gone from the shelf on the opposite side of the room.

He wonders just how long Jaehyun has been waiting for him to wake up and how on earth Mark isn't back yet. But maybe that can be explained by messages sent from Donghyuck's phone.

How big are his chances of survival? He thought he has avoided this, for a moment he felt _safe_.

But now he will probably die in his own apartment and he won't be able to do anything to stop it.

He hid and ran and waited. But the danger has been there, lurking in the dark the whole time. It came in the form of his friend, someone who he trusted enough to come back.

Donghyuck is a fool with his biggest flaw raw and exposed for everyone to see and take advantage of.

He loves his friends to pieces and he would do anything to make sure they are safe.

But who would make sure _he_ is safe as well? No one is here to help him.

For now, he has to fight alone.

“No, no, no just _no_,” Donghyuck whispers frantically as it would somehow help his situation.

“You and your friends, you all deserve this,” Jaehyun says with a satisfied smile on his face.  
Donghyuck feels his hands twitching and his legs becoming weaker. There is no doubt in his mind that Jaehyun is sure of his victory.

Donghyuck knows his chances are slim but he has to try anyway, he isn’t giving up.  
Something in Jaehyun’s eyes tells him the older boy won’t stop at him.

He will come for his friends next and the imagines of Jeno, Chenle, Jaemin, Jisung, Renjun and Mark's scared faces, when they uncover how twisted Jaehyun really is, crosses his mind.

It gives him an adrenaline boost and he can feel his hands stop shaking.

Donghyuck looks around briefly and then lets his legs give up on him and falls on the floor. He hopes it’s believable enough that the other won’t think anything of it. When Jaehyun doesn’t react aside from a short giggle he breathes out in relief.

He carefully slides his hand under the sofa begging whatever God would listen that Mark hasn’t cleaned their apartment. It takes him a moment of absolute silence while Jaehyun eats another slice of pizza they ordered earlier but he finally manages to locate it.

He guesses the older takes some kind of sick satisfaction watching him lay there as all his will to live and hope sips out of him.  
Well, that’s probably how it’s supposed to go in Jaehyun’s brain.

His hand desperately grabs at the fly swatter that he managed to kick under the couch what now feels like an eternity ago. It may not seem like something he can defend himself with but Donghyuck has a plan.

As he slowly takes it out and then starts to untie his shoelaces even slower he grimaces. Donghyuck can feel the hairs on his neck stand up when he realizes he is making too much noise and Jaehyun will probably be done with the pizza any second now and then he won’t have a chance.

So he decides to do the thing he is probably most brilliant at. Talk.

“Who are you planning to go after next?” he asks and despite the fact that he is not planning to die here, his voice shakes at the end.

“Oh? Interested in that?” Jaehyun seems a little taken aback by his words but he collects himself quite fast. Donghyuck doesn’t really care, he is just happy that the older doesn’t really pay attention to him. As long as he stays where he is it should be fine. “I was thinking Jeno. I know he is one of your favorites. Well, so is Mark but I’m saving him for last. I want to see life escaping his eyes with each of his friends' deaths until there’s nothing left in them.”

Donghyuck’s hand freezes mid-air and he doesn’t dare to do as much as breathe. Jaehyun’s words are getting to him, planting even more fear in his heart and he squeezes his eyes shut.

He _has_ to get through this.

‘How to make small talk with a person that is about to kill you’ is how Donghyuck is naming the book he will write if he gets out of this room alive.

He wonders if he should ask _why_ but looking at this all from outside Donghyuck guesses there's no point. Donghyuck and the others haven't done anything terrible to Jaehyun, and even if they _had_ there's never a good enough reason for murder.

“What about that man? The one that was arrested?” he asks and resumes his work again. It’s almost done, he just needs another minute or two. But so is Jaehyun and the older finally finishes his last slice of pizza and makes his way back to the living room.

“That? It was too easy. Taeyong and Doyoung were so desperate to find their killer that they believed half-assed evidence. I can’t blame them though, I’m pretty good at what I’m doing.”

‘_Clearly_,’ Donghyuck thinks as Jaehyun approaches him and it’s only then that he notices the shining blade in his hands.

It’s reflecting Donghyuck’s scared face, pupils blown out of proportion and for a moment it mesmerizes him.

“How about we end it now,” Jaehyun gives him a wicked smirk. “Any last words?” he asks as he gets closer, too close and Donghyuck finally snaps out of it.

This is probably the last thing all of the other boys saw before dying. Donghyuck’s eyes go wild and he tightens the grip on his makeshift weapon.

His life will not end here, no way.  
He has so many things to live for. The imagine of Mark’s smiling face materializes in his memory, vivid as if the older was here with him.

If he gets out of there alive he will make Mark promise they are gonna get a house in the countryside, somewhere close to Miyoung. The only thing he wants to see for the rest of his life are those stars.

He doesn’t wait for Jaehyun to strike first. Instead, he swings as hard and as fast as he can and then throws his whole body forward.

He tries to avoid the blade and he almost succeeds, Jaehyun has dropped it in shock and so it only grazes Donghyuck’s cheek.

He doesn’t wait for any help, he knows it isn’t coming.

Jaehyun is before him, the shoe hit him across the face and he is bleeding from the nose. He looks shocked enough that he doesn’t react when Donghyuck kicks the knife away and gets up to get anything else to defend himself with.

‘_Anything but a knife_,’ he whispers as he tries to get past Jaehyun to hopefully get to the kitchen.

And that’s when his luck ends.  
The older grabs him by his naked feet and pulls hard making him lose balance for a moment.  
He throws his hands up in a desperate attempt to regain it and for some reason, it works.

Donghyuck gathers all his energy and with his heart in his throat lifts up his leg which Jaehyun is still holding firmly and then stomps as hard as he can.

Jaehyun screams and lets out a ‘_you brat_’ under his breath but it works and Donghyuck is finally free.

He opts for the kitchen and grabs at the first thing that he can find that turns out to be a pan.

“You are going to attack me when I’m empty-handed?” Jaehyun asks from the floor. He is holding his hand to his chest with a grimace which turns to a smirk as soon as he realizes Donghyuck is looking.

It makes him pause, the pan raised, and _look_ at who he once called a friend.

Words like this really do mess up your brain and Donghyuck feels the muscles in his right hand tremble and give up slowly until finally the pan he is holding is hanging at his side.

“Oh sweet Donghyuck,” Jaehyun laughs and gets up with a grimace. “You didn’t learn anything, did you? Never trust _anyone_.”

Donghyuck takes a few steps back and forces his hands to work again because who knows what Jaehyun is planning as he suddenly gets close to him again.

“Come on kill me,” he yells with a smile and Donghyuck takes another step back but there’s a wall behind him. He is trapped here, pan in hand and the older blocking his way out.

‘_I did this to myself_’ he thinks because honestly there _must_ have been and easier way out of the situation but it’s hard to really think when one of the people you trusted most is pointing a knife at you.

“I won’t,” he whispers and then he sees it; a dark sparkle in Jaehyun’s eyes. The older frowns and Donghyuck _feels_ it before the other can say anything.

“It’s kill or be killed.”

And then Jaehyun attacks again.

It turns out that even though Donghyuck has gotten rid of the knife Jaehyun still has his pocket blade with him. It shines brightly in the morning light and thanks to that he is easily able to dodge the first two attacks.

At this range, the pan is basically useless so when Jaehyun stops for a moment to prepare for another attack he stomps on the older’s foot as hard as he can which, of course, makes him jump away.

‘_This is it_’, Donghyuck thinks as he raises the pan.

He still doesn’t want to do it, doesn’t want this to end like this but he has no choice.

Jaehyun’s eyes go big when he realizes that he has probably lost as Donghyuck’s pan comes crashing down, just barely missing his head but still strong enough to knock him out.

For Donghyuck time slows down. He sees each terrifying detail in slow motion, the moment the older’s eyes close and his body becomes lifeless.

He stares at it with wide eyes.

And then there’s a loud bang on the door and a moment later it’s opening, letting in the fresh air.

“Shit!” Mark exclaims when he bursts into the apartment, shopping bags still in his hands.

Donghyuck’s mind tells him to laugh at the whole situation but he can’t seem to make any of his muscles work.

There is a pure terror on the older’s face as he gets his phone out of his pocket and dials, as Donghyuck hopes, the police.

Mark gets closer to him and Donghyuck looks down at Jaehyun’s still form.  
“Did I kill him?” comes out of his mouth and they are both surprised at how calm it sounds.

“I don’t think so,” Mark’s eyes travel across the lifeless body on the floor just to come back to his best friend’s after a second. “It’s okay.”

Mark gets even closer and Donghyuck’s heart picks up speed again.  
“Don’t,” he whispers under his breath. “Don’t come closer.”

Mark’s face falls but he stops nonetheless.  
He can’t describe the feeling but it makes his muscles shake and his hand reach for the pan again.

Seeing the state he is in Mark raises his hands and slowly backs away.  
“I’m not going to come close to you again, let’s wait for the police they should be there anytime now.”

And they do just that. They stand, Mark’s form tense with worry and Donghyuck’s with adrenaline.  
Donghyuck hates how unsafe he feels even with Mark.

Mark who he has known forever, who he had played games with when they were five, who he spent endless nights studying with.  
Mark who he had kissed back on their trip.

Donghyuck can feel tears coming to his eyes but before they can spill and start a never-ending river, the doors open again and paramedics and police burst through them.

They are all a colorful blur in Donghyuck’s vision, his eyes never leaving Mark who after a moment decides to speak to the officers.

“I don’t think he is ready to talk yet,” Mark tells someone and when Donghyuck hears a familiar voice answer him he forces his eyes to focus.

There, next to Mark’s tense form stand Taeyong and Doyoung. The older of the two is in his uniform and it’s clear he is actually on duty not just here because it’s Mark and Donghyuck.

The look in both of his friend’s eyes is too much for Donghyuck so he turns away.

Because while for him Jaehyun was a funny senior who was always on board with his pranks for Doyoung it was something more. That was his best friend.

“Donghyuck?” Doyoung is suddenly much closer than he remembers and Donghyuck raises his hands in panic, searching for the pan that is no longer there. “Try to calm down.”

But how can he? Jaehyun was Doyoung's best friend and he _knows_, he just knows he wouldn’t be able to be this calm if something like this happened to Mark.

Mark and Donghyuck may be different and the older might not be a murderer but he still feels on edge as Doyoung gets closer.

“Don’t get that close to him,” Mark’s voice is stern and Donghyuck can feel himself squirm. What if Mark is scared of him now? “He doesn’t feel safe, you are only stressing him out.”

Doyoung stops in his tracks and then slowly retreats back to where Taeyong is standing with the other officers.

They stay like this for a few more hours, the sky outside slowly turning darker and darker and finally, just when Donghyuck thinks he can’t take it anymore, the darkness finally takes over the world.

⧖⧖⧖

He doesn’t dream of anything related to the accident for the first two nights. All he can remember after he wakes up in cold sweat is the feeling of drowning, being pulled underwater without a way to escape.

It makes him uneasy and he doesn’t let Mark into the apartment at all the first day. The older knocks a few times knowing good that Donghyuck is inside but doesn’t press it. He leaves without a place to stay and the last sane part of Donghyuck feels terrible.

But his hands won’t stop shaking and the part of him that can still see Jaehyun’s face when he closes his eyes wins as he curls on his bed and stays still for the rest of the day.

The real nightmare greets him in his sleep on the third night.

The dream starts innocently. It's a blur of colors at first but then as Donghyuck feels his heart pick up speed and the feeling of unsettlement take over it sharpens.

The edges are raw and bleeding as the dream Jaehyun swings at him with a rock with the most twisted smile he has ever seen.

And this time around the older is successful. Donghyuck sees it from outside. His body hitting the apartment's floor. Jaehyun shifting to a worried friend and calling the police. Mark coming home just to his lifeless body and collapsing as Jaehyun smirks from the kitchen.

And then comes the part where Donghyuck tries to cover his eyes. But it's a dream so of course, it doesn't work. He screams silently when Jaehyun comes after Jaemin, Chenle, Jisung, Renjun, Jeno and then finally Mark.

He tries to get away, his senses telling him there's something wrong, not right about looking at it when he is dead himself but he is caged in his nightmare and his mind fails to catch the fact that it's not real.

He wakes up covered in sweat, trying to force air into his lungs. It takes him a while but after determining he is alone in the apartment he finally calms down enough to stop shaking. He opens his fists and sees red but it's good because no matter what he is still alive. They all are.

Donghyuck reaches into his bedside drawer and checks his phone.

No new messages, no calls. He knows all of his friends have been informed not to disturb him.

He scrolls until he reaches his conversation with Mark, opens it and types a simple 'Hey'.

It's not much but it's a start.

⧖⧖⧖

The moment that Mark crosses the doorway Donghyuck’s breath hitches. His heart beats loudly in his chest and he can hear it in his ears.

He can’t identify the emotion that passes through him at that moment.

It feels a little bit like fear, cold and chilly, freezing his insides and making his heart desperately try to get his blood flowing.

Or maybe it's love. Hot and burning, making his insides burn and his heart going into overdrive.

The feelings are too similar right now and his mind is too clouded to judge.

He closes his eyes and swallows. Donghyuck is determined to make it the latter so he pretends that’s exactly what it is. It will do for now.

“You sure you are fine with me being here? I can always come back in a week or two, Jisung’s and Chenle’s sofa is nice enough—” Mark’s eyes are big and there’s fear in them. Maybe even more of it than before when they were truly safe back in their car on the run.

Donghyuck hates it. He hates this so much.

“No,” he says and the older closes his mouth around probably another nice and easy word.

This isn’t what Donghyuck _needs_. He needs space and distance but not doubt and fear.

“This is also _your_ apartment. Besides I’m really fine Mark. I don’t have any injuries, I don’t bleed anymore.”

“Not physical,” Mark looks him in the eyes and takes one step too much, “But psychical scars are so much harder to heal.”

Donghyuck looks at the older in silence and he nods when Mark takes a step back. He is right even though Donghyuck doesn’t want to admit it.

Donghyuck doesn’t want to let fear control his life but there’s not much he can do at the moment. Except to accept the situation. _Learn_ to live with all of his new scars.

“Fine,” he lets out a shaky breath. “I’m not fine. But I want you to stay anyway.”

Mark nods at him and without coming any closer he slips into the kitchen.

Donghyuck lets out a breath and lets his head fall loose. He glances at his feet and there are tears threatening to spill from the corners of his eyes if he won’t act fast enough.

But some part of him doesn’t want to and as Mark prepares dinner in the other room Donghyuck lets them fall freely.

They are quiet, very quiet, he has always been a quiet crier.

In that apartment, he tries to piece himself back together but fails over and over again. He can’t do it alone.

Mark isn’t a quiet crier and Donghyuck thanks God for that because together, their cries can be heard in the quiet night.

They _will_ be all right.

⧖⧖⧖

Out of all the others, Jeno is the first one Donghyuck lets into the apartment.

It’s been two weeks of constant messages between the two, Jeno reassuring him that it’s fine, he doesn’t need to visit. The older sends him a ton of his cat’s pics and attaches at least one sweet emoji to every text.

Donghyuck _knows_ he doesn’t have to make that decision but one afternoon, when he is sitting in his bedroom and Mark is in the kitchen, something strikes him.

He isn’t scared to let Jeno in. Perhaps he is even less scared of Jeno than of Mark at the moment. Which says a lot because Mark _is_ here, singing with the radio as he makes them ramen.

“I’m going to invite Jeno,” he says in a strong voice and the singing in the other room stops. After a moment there’s Mark’s head in the doorframe of Donghyuck’s room, the older not daring a step inside.

“Sure, when?” Mark asks with a new spark in his eyes. It’s clear the older tries very hard to not show his excitement and Donghyuck wants to laugh.

He is so grateful that his best friends doesn’t ask questions which he doesn’t have answers to. Like why now and why _Jeno_. And the one which would probably hurt him the most, _will you let him get closer to you than you let me?_

Donghyuck doesn’t know the answers to any of them.

“I was thinking of tomorrow. Is this fine with you?”

Mark pauses and for a moment all they do is stare at each other.  
“Sure,” the older finally says and takes a step back to go back to the kitchen. “I’ll be out all day, you two have fun.”

So after Mark reassumes his singing Donghyuck picks up his phone and sends Jeno a text.

‘_come over tomorrow. it’s been ages._’

⧖⧖⧖

The next morning Donghyuck makes coffee while he waits for his best friend to show up.

Mark has left quite a long time ago and the younger is left to wander through the apartment without a destination. He makes his bed for the first time in ages and checks what's in his drawers.

It’s strange to feel so hyper and he wishes he could just go outside and do _something_ but at the sole thought he feels his insides twist. Donghyuck is not there yet.

Thankfully just as Donghyuck’s thoughts start to get darker there’s a knock on the door and just like that with Jeno’s bright and sweet smile all the negativity the younger has felt just a moment ago disappears.

“You came!” Donghyuck exclaims loudly when he opens the door.

There’s a second in which all he wants is to jump into his friend’s arms but there’s an invincible wall which instead forces him to take a few steps back to make sure there’s distance between them so that Jeno can enter the apartment.

The older doesn’t comment on it, his smile never leaving his lips and Donghyuck feels a pang in his chest. Mark has surely told their friend all about his fears and triggers and he is thankful for that. But it only makes his frustration with himself grow even more. Why can’t he be fine already? It’s been weeks.

“I brought presents from Jaemin, Jisung, Renjun, and Chenle. They wouldn’t stop bugging me about it when they heard I’m going to visit,” Jeno takes out a few bags from his backpack and sets them down on the sofa. “What do you wanna do? How about a High School Musical marathon?”

Donghyuck smiles and comes to the sofa when Jeno disappears to look for the movies.  
He peeks inside the packs from his friends and feels his throat painfully close around the words he was about to say.

There, in the dark bags, sits a box with his favorite candies and handmade cards with ‘get well soon’, ‘i better be the next one you invite’ and ‘i can’t believe you invited jeno before me you ugly’ scribbled all over them. The last one is definitely Renjun’s handwriting and Donghyuck laughs. He really loves his friends and he makes a promise to himself to invite them over soon too.

Not all at once because that might me too much for now but day after day would do.  
And he should probably start with Renjun guessing from the older’s message.

“You ready?” comes from the other room and Donghyuck looks around panicked. He has just now realized that he has no idea where to sit so that they can both watch the movie.

Jeno comes out of his bedroom and he feels his body freeze and his heart beating loudly. There’s nowhere for him to hide if anything happened. If his friend attacked him.

‘_It’s just Jeno_,’ he reminds himself and he can see the sadness in his friend’s eyes.

“Don’t worry I’ll sit on the floor here,” Jeno points to a spot that is far enough from where Donghyuck is still, standing next to the sofa.

“Will you see anything?” he asks in a weak voice.

Jeno nods at him with a smile and settles down. Donghyuck sits down too and throws a pillow at his friend.  
“Sit on it. I don’t want you to get sick.”

They start the first movie and after a while, a comfortable silence settles over them. At some point, Donghyuck takes one of the boxes full of sweets which has a note by Chenle attached to it.

‘hey hyung smile a little,’ it reads and Donghyuck does just what the younger wants and smiles at the sweets in his hands.

“Want a candy?” he asks softly and Jeno nods enthusiastically.

“Just toss them to me, I’ll catch them!” he says and when Donghyuck throws the bag of sweets in his direction Jeno really does catch it.

“Donghyuck, Donghyuck!” Jeno waves his hands at him.

“_What_?” he asks and laughs at how funny his friend looks with a bunch of sweets in hands and his big brown eyes opened wide.

“It’s almost _Bet on it_ time, pay attention.”

For a moment Donghyuck just _stares_ at Jeno in silence and when he hears the first notes from the said song playing from the TV he bursts into laughter.

Jeno joins him instantly and Donghyuck faceplants into the sofa.

“I hate you Jeno,” he mumbles into the soft material.

“No you don’t,” comes the answer.

⧖⧖⧖

Over the next week, Donghyuck does just what he has planned. He invites over Renjun, Jeamin, Jisung, and Chenle. They all seem happy to see him and everyone keeps a safe distance, making sure that he is comfortable.

He loves playing video games with Jisung, laughing with Jaemin and dissing Renjun and even though it’s impossible to bake with Chenle in the current situation they have fun just talking too.

And Mark strangely disappears every day just to reappear when their friends leave.

Asked where and why he is going the older answers that the whole apartment would probably be too crowded with him also there and Donghyuck doesn’t know how he feels.

He corners Mark in the dark of the older’s room after a finally peaceful day. They have spent it all together, joking and playing games but under the faint light of the half-moon, Donghyuck sees different emotions on the other’s face.

Donghyuck looks at Mark’s sad eyes. He knows the older doesn’t want him to know that, pulling off all kinds of smiles on the daily just to make him comfortable and not scared anymore.

Donghyuck appreciates it but he thinks he has had enough.

He takes a few steps, slowly closing the distance between them and then reaches out.

His hand stops for a moment mid-air, frozen just before Mark’s face. It shakes but Donghyuck grits his teeth and pushes it the last few centimeters.

Mark stands there, expression calm and a spark of hope and happiness in his eyes when Donghyuck finally breaks down the rest of his walls.

His hand touches the soft skin of Mark’s cheek and Donghyuck feels his fingers tremble at the familiar touch.

“I missed you,” he whispers and even though he can tell Mark barely hears him the older doesn’t lean in to make it easier for himself.

Mark doesn’t do it but Donghyuck does. He takes a step closer, leans in and repeats his words again to make sure Mark gets them.

“I missed you too,” the older whispers back and Donghyuck smiles faintly. “But I would have waited forever for you Hyuck.”

_Sometimes I wish you wouldn’t_, Donghyuck thinks and looks Mark in the eyes.

The reflection of himself he sees there isn’t exactly something he hates. It doesn’t look as scared and as broken as before.

They spend their whole evening like this, close to each other, learning all the small touches all over again.

⧖⧖⧖

The night finds them in Donghyuck's bed, squeezed together even though the air in the apartment is still hot from the bright sun which was there just a few hours ago.

“I’m sorry,” Donghyuck whispers next to Mark’s ear. “I’m sorry for pushing you away so many times.”

The bed squeaks when Mark turns his whole body to Donghyuck.

“Donghyuck,” he says and it sounds almost pleading. “There is nothing to apologize for.”

The younger reaches out and touches his best friend’s cheek.

“Mark you did nothing wrong and yet you got all the backlash. I didn’t let you touch me for _weeks_. I made you stay at least ten feet away at all times."

“I love you Donghyuck,” Mark whispers. There are stars in his wild open eyes.

Donghyuck is finally home.

⧖⧖⧖

Between meeting with all of his friends and family over the course of the next few months, Jaehyun’s trial finally starts.

It gives both Donghyuck and Mark endless sleepless nights as they try to get ready for their testimonies, notes spread all over the floor before them.

“God I can’t seem to get this right,” Donghyuck whispers as he stares at the page full of his almost unreadable handwriting. He scratches at his neck as he reads through it again and again but there’s something _wrong_ with it that he can’t put his fingers on. “I don’t think I’m mixing it up and yet—”

Mark frowns and extends a hand in Donghyuck’s direction.  
“Which one is it?”

The younger gives him the paper with a sigh. He knows Mark wants to help him but there’s nothing he can do about this one. Donghyuck has to figure it out on his own.

“It’s the one about the moments before Jaehyun attacked me. I can’t remember it too clearly.”

Mark stops reading and lets the paper rest on top of the other’s and then he moves closer to Donghyuck.

“I don’t think you need to. It’s not _that_ important, we have enough witnesses anyway without it.”

Donghyuck struggles because Mark _is_ right. There is no way Jaehyun is going to walk free out of the court tomorrow. It’s the last day of this hell and after long hours spend in the same courtroom listening to testimonies of families of the boys that didn’t make it Donghyuck is ready to close that chapter of his life.

He finds it especially hard to listen to Hyunjin’s mother who just like when they have visited her is calm and collected even while looking at Jaehyun.

Her speech is heartbreaking and Donghyuck’s head spins when he realizes just how much of a monster his ex-friend really is.

During the whole trial, Jaehyun looks everyone straight in the eyes and even smirks when the families talk about their losses with tears in their eyes. He is cruel and nowhere near sorry for what he has done.

The older doesn’t care about anyone’s feeling no matter what. The only time Donghyuck notices him show any kind of emotion is when it’s Doyoung’s time to take the stand.

Jaehyun looks lost for a moment and as he looks away from his best friend there is a glimpse of what Donghyuck once thought was friend.

Maybe Doyoung is this one person Jaehyun would never hurt.

But no matter what _is_ the truth and what really lays behind Jaehyun’s cruel smirks this is the end.

Every person present is there to make sure of that.

⧖⧖⧖

Testifying _is_ hard.

Standing here as the only survivor of that monster is _hard_. But the hardest part isn’t looking Jaehyun in the eyes which surprises Donghyuck. It’s actually looking into the other victims' families' eyes.

“Don’t you _dare_ feel guilty,” Mark whispers to him when Donghyuck finally gets back to his seat after his questioning is over. “It’s only this monster’s fault. Never yours.”

Donghyuck nods weakly and after Mark gives him last reassuring pat on the back he gets up to leave the room.

He doesn’t feel guilty. That’s not it. Donghyuck doesn’t feel guilty or scared anymore.

He just feels sorry for the others who didn’t have as much luck as he did.

As Donghyuck gets closer to the door he is so glad that they have decided to bring the rest of their small friend group with them. He can’t wait to see their smiles when they all realize it’s finally over and they can move on.

His hand freezes over the knob but he forces it to work and he opens the doors to his freedom.

“Donghyuck!” they all collectively shout when he gets out of the courtroom.  
He closes the door behind him and finally breathes out. This is it, this is the end of the nightmare.

When they think he is ready they all jump on him for a group hug.

Well, all apart from one. Mark is still inside, being interviewed right now but that's okay.

Donghyuck buries his head in Jeno’s hoodie and closes his eyes. He can feel tears forming at the corners of his eyes and he finally lets them spill.

Enough of pretending to be the tough guy. He lets himself be weak in the arms of his best friends where he feels safe and protected.

And when Mark finally comes out of the courtroom with the news that there is no way the guy who made his life hell will ever get out of prison Donghyuck laughs for the first time in months.

In a sense, Donghyuck was the worst mistake Jaehyun has ever made.

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far then congrats!! Let me know your thoughts in the comments and maybe consider leaving kudos, they keep me motivated :D
> 
> Also come talk to me on tt @ lotsofsunshines hehe~


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